Ways To Decrease Inflammation
Inflammation is an important function of the body. It helps protect the body from invaders that cause infection and disease. That’s called acute inflammation and necessary to keep the body alive. However, too much inflammation or chronic inflammation, even at low levels, can be damaging to the body. Inflammation inside arteries, for instance, can cause blockage, so the need to decrease inflammation is important.
Chronic inflammation affects many parts of your body.
Chronic inflammation can be the reason for many types of allergies. It can cause digestive issues, which includes IBS and Crohn’s disease. The risk of rheumatoid arthritis, skin disorders, heart disease, blood vessel disease COPD, gum disease, cancer, mental health and bone damage are all increased when there’s chronic inflammation. It can also damage joints, cause weight gain, premature skin aging and loss of muscle tone. So how do you solve the problem? Factors that affect chronic inflammation are blood sugar imbalance, diet, leaky gut syndrome, lack of sleep, stress, chronic infection and environmental factors.
Cut out sugar!
If you want to feel good, eat healthier. Cut out food with added sugar and you’ll go a long way in decreasing chronic inflammation. While you won’t be able to control all inflammation, you can help balance it by eating the right foods and avoiding the ones that increase the problem. Besides sugar and foods with added sugar, these foods include pastry, white bread and refined carbs. Fried food, too much red meat and fats like margarine round out the group of inflammatory foods. Don’t forget what you drink makes a difference, too. Cut out soft drinks and fancy coffee with all the extras.
Eat your way to less inflammation.
While you can spark inflammation and set it on fire by eating certain foods, you can put out those flames and reduce inflammation by eating others. Fresh fruits and vegetables are on that list, with tomatoes and leafy greens leading the way on the side of veggies. Fruits that are the head of the pack for reducing inflammation include blueberries, strawberries, oranges and cherries. Avoiding fried, food with added sugar and highly processed food prevent inflammation from starting.
- Switching out soft drinks and fancy coffees for plain coffee, green tea or water, can help reduce inflammation. Coffee has polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds. Green tea has EGCG that has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Get more sleep and learn find ways to relieve stress like deep breathing exercises, meditation and make your home environmentally friendly. Those three factors can reduce inflammation.
- Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper, rosemary and sage all have inflammatory properties. Newer studies show inflammation may be linked to Alzheimer’s and supplements of turmeric are being used to control it.
- Food high in Omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent inflammation and aid in reducing existing inflammation. Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel contain it. So do walnuts, flaxseed and soy.
It’s no fun to have issues with digestion. Whether it’s gassiness, bloating, pain or vomiting, it’s all uncomfortable and something you want to avoid. There are natural ways to improve your digestive health and also improve other areas of your health. While not every digestive issue has to do with lifestyle or can be solved by making changes, most can benefit and many can be eliminated.
Before you can decide if a split workout schedule is right for you, you have to know exactly what it is. If you’re working all parts of your body at one session, you’re doing a full body workout. If you’re working the upper body at one session and the lower body at another, you’re doing a split workout. You can refine the workout split in a variety of ways, depending on your goals.
No matter where you live in the US, whether it’s Baton Rouge, LA, Dallas TX, or in the Northwest territory, staying healthy has become more of a focus. Most people realize that diet and exercise play an important role in preventing many conditions. Some foods seem to be miracle foods, since they provide the body with the nutrients and phytonutrients it needs. Apple cider vinegar—ACV, which has been used for centuries for many conditions. Today, science has proven it beneficial, for a number of conditions, but is improving cholesterol one of those?
You might live in Louisiana or any place in the US and hear people bash themselves for being overweight or out of shape. That doesn’t help or change a thing. In fact, it’s counterproductive. You need to love your body at every weight. Loving your body doesn’t mean you’re accepting being overweight permanently. It means you want what’s best for your body, which includes healthy eating and a program of regular exercise.
What are your hamstrings? Your hamstrings are the group of muscles at the back of your thigh that start at the bottom of the pelvis and end at the back of the knee. These muscles aid in keeping your pelvis aligned properly. They’re among the many muscles that help attach leg bones to the pelvis and help the body tilt the pelvis and bend at the knee. Tight hamstrings can lead to knee and leg pain. They’re also responsible for lower back pain. To prevent that problem and increase flexibility, hamstring stretches done on a regular basis help.
There may be a liar in your house. It could be your bathroom scale. While it may always weigh you properly and give the right weight, sometimes that doesn’t give the whole picture. Sometimes, particularly when starting a program of fitness, checking your weight too frequently can discourage you and even cause you to quit. If any of that describes you, it’s time for a no scale lifestyle.
If you’re spending time sitting on the sidelines, wishing you had more energy or felt better to enjoy the fun, it’s time to get a healthier version of you. If you take better care of your vehicle than you do of yourself, it’s time to make changes. Start valuing yourself the same way you value your transportation. A health care regimen includes a number of things from getting regular physicals and plenty of sleep to eating healthier and exercising regularly.
You don’t have to take a long road trip or even travel far, traveling can set your weight loss and healthy eating plans back months. It doesn’t have to happen that way, you can eat well while traveling if you plan ahead, even if you normally use food processors or juicers to make your normal diet. Whether traveling by plane, train or automobile, there are ways to help you stay on course for a healthy eating plan. The first place to check are the “things to do” sites that offer information about the restaurants in the town or along the way.
I’ve had lots of questions regarding the safety of working out when you’re pregnant and my first answer is always to check with your health care professional before you start any exercise program or special diet. Every person is different and every pregnancy is different. While it might be perfectly safe for one woman to workout, it doesn’t mean it’s safe for everyone who is pregnant. Here is a generalized guide regarding exercise and pregnancy.